Freestanding shelving apparatus



March 31, 1964 w BlBB I FREESTANDING SHELVING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 21. 1961 United States Patent Ofiice V 3,127,020 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 3,127,020 FREESTANDING @HELVING APPARATUS William M. lBihh, Palo Alto, Caliii, assignor to W. R. Antes Company, Miipitas, Calih, a corporation of California Filed ept. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 139,649

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-148) This invention relates to prefabricated freestanding shelving adaptable for book storage and the like. More particularly, it relates to a shelving construction comprised of shelf-retaining column members and supporting base members that can be quickly assembled by novel connection means to provide an unusually strong and rigid shelving structure.

One object of the present invention is to solve the problem of providing the required strength and rigidity for the supporting column members of a structure which in turn are supporting load-carrying members attached to the columns. Such a structural arrangement may be utilized for freestanding book shelving of the type used in libraries, for example, where it is desirable to provide ranges or rows of freestanding book storage without requi-ring a costly permanent installation that relies on part of the building structure for support. However, freestanding shelving utilizing column members is feasible only if the columns are supported by a base member that provides the necessary lateral stability. Yet, from a practical standpoint such shelving apparatus must be formed from separate components so that it can be broken down and shipped conveniently and then assembled easily at the place of use. When the shelving is assembled the base members must be rigidly connected to their columns so that the columns will not be loose and deflect and thus be subject to increasing bending stresses.

Therefore, another object of the invention is to provide a rigid connection between a column and a base member in a freestanding shelving structure that enables the columns and base members to be easily assembled and disassembled without the need for special tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connection between structural members of a freestanding shelving apparatus wherein one of the members is caused to deform slightly as the members are drawn together to forma tight, rigid union between the two members.

Another object is to provide a prefabricated meta shelving apparatus supported by single end columns connected to base members that is light in weight and yet capable of supporting relatively heavy loads, even though the loads are unbalanced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a prefabricated metal shelving that can be extended to any desired length by connecting additional shelving sections thereto.

In the freestanding shelving apparatus according to the invention, the load on the shelves is transmitted to the end columns and produces both compression and bending stresses, depending on how the shelves are loaded. In order that the entire shelving structure be absolutely stable and rigid under all such loading conditions, it is necessary that: (1) the base members supporting the columns have sufficient width to counteract any tipping moment produced by any combination of loaded shelves; (2) that the columns or posts have suficient rigidity to resist any substantial deflection that would tend to shift compression stresses to bending stresses; and (3) that each column 12 be rigidly connected to its base member 13 in the upright vertical position so that no relative movement or deflection can take place between these two members. All of these above requirements are fulfilled by the construction contemplated by my invention, as will become apparent from the following detailed description.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description and from the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of one section of freestanding shelves having upright columns connected to base members in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in end elevation and partially in sec tion of a column member connected to a base member, an upper portion of the column member is shown with a portion broken away to show a typical connection of a shelf in detail;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view in section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 and showing the connection means for the column and the base member in detail;

FIG. 4 is a view in section showng a portion of a column member, and taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view in elevation and in section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a freestanding load carrying srtucture ll) comprising a pair of standards ll formed by end columns or posts 12, each of which is rigidly attached to a base member 13 in accordance with the principles of the invention. Each standard 11 may support a plurality of spaced apart shelves 14 that are attached to and extend outwardly from opposite sides of the posts ll. The shelves 314 are strong and rigid and may support relatively heavy loads such as books, the total load from #all of the shelves 14 being carried by the standards 11.

Each base member 13, as shown in FIG. 2 has a slight inverted V-shape formed by parallel sides 15 that are connected to form end portions 1e and a raised centrally located portion 17 having parallel cross webs 1% that form a rectangular shaped pocket 1% for receiving a post or 1 column member '12. The pocket 19 has a bottom portion 20 for retaining the lower end of a column member 12 and a centrally located opening 21 therein. At each end portion 16 an internal boss member 22 is formed and it is threaded internally to receive an adjustable foot member 23 having a disc shaped head 24- With a hat surface adapted to engage the floor and a threaded shaft 25 that fits into the boss member 22. The base members 13 are preferably integrally formed in the aforementioned shape from some suitable material such as aluminum by casting so that they are strong and yet light in weight. Each base member 13 may also be surface treated to eliminate any undesirable surface roughness.

The columns or posts 12 have a generally tubular construction and preferably comprise a connected pair of longitudinal channel members 216 formed from a suitable metal having the desired strength and resilience. For this purpose, I prefer to use rolled steel bent to form the desired cross section. Each channel 26 has a main web portion 27 and integral side portions 23 attached to inwardly extending aligned flanges 29 that are parallel to the main web portion 27 and form an open space 30 between the flanges 29. Each pair of channel members 26 are attached together along their flanges 29 to form a post column 12 having a generally rectangular cross section only slightly smaller than the pocket 19. The flanges 29 of engaging channel members 26 may be connected together by any suitable means, but I prefer to accomplish this by forming integral tab members 31 that extend outwardly at intervals along the flanges 29 of one channel member (see FIG. 4). In a mating channel member 26 slots 32 having a slightly greater width as the tabs 31 are punched out, so that each pair of opposing channel members 26 can be easily joined together to form a post 12 by inserting the tab members 31 of one channel member through and bending them against the opposing flange 29 of the mating channel member 26. With the aforesaid arrangement the channel members 26 can be separated easily for shipment and rapidly assembled at the job site.

At the lower end of each post 12 a portion of each pair of engaging flanges 29 is cut away to form an edge 33 that gradually slopes inwardly and downwardly toward a similarly sloping edge 34 on the opposite pair of engaging flanges 29 (see FIG. 5).

As stated previously, each post 12 has cross-sectional outside dimensions which enables it to slide easily into a pocket 19 of a base member 13. However, once in place, the column 12 must be secured tightly thereto because even a small amount of play can cause movement of the column within the base member 13, and this will result in instability of the entire shelving structure and increased bending stresses. Therefore, my invention provides a novel connection means for each column 12 and its base member 13 that actually deforms the lower end of the post within the pocket 19 by increasing slightly its crosssectional dimensions so that it will be pressed tightly against the walls of the pocket 19. Within the lower portion of each post or column 12 and between the sloping edges 33 and 34 is a wedging block 35. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the block 35 has a generally rectangular cross-section with sides 36 that taper from the upper end 37 of the block 35 to its lower end 38. Extending along each side 35 is a groove 39 having a width substantially greater than the thickness of the engaged flanges 29 of each post 12. The amount of taper on the sides 36 of the wedge block 35 is preferably equal to the slope of the internal edges 33 and 34 within the post 12 so that the wedge block 35 can exert a force evenly all along the grooves 39 against the flange edges 33 and 34 as the wedge 35 is drawn downward within the post 12. The wedge block 35 is also preferably formed from cast aluminum and it is provided with a longitudinal bore 40 having a threaded portion 41 near its upper end 37.

As shown in FIG. 4, each post 12 is attached to a base member 13 by first inserting the lower end of the post within the pocket 19. A machine bolt 42 is then inserted through a washer 43 and up through the opening 21 into the bottom portion 20 of the pocket 19 to enter the bore 40 and become threaded to wedge block 35. As the bolt 42 is tightened, the wedge block 35 is drawn downward with the edges 33 and 34 of the flanges 29 extending into the grooves 39. The force exerted by the wedge block 35 presses outwardly and deforms slightly the yieldable resilient side portions 28 of the engaged channel members 26 against the sides of the pocket 19. Thus, with a relatively small amount of take-up on the bolt 42, an absolutely rigid connection is formed between each post 12 and its base member 13. When the shelving apparatus is to be disassembled, the post becomes easily disengaged from the base member 13 when the bolt 42 is loosened and removed from the wedge block 35.

Various forms of shelf units can be formed using the post 12 and the base member 13 in combination in accordance with the invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 I prefer to use the metal shelves 14 of the well known type having bent over edges 45 for strength and stiffness and integral hook members 46 that are adapted to fit into '4 narrow slots 47 spaced along the end portions 28 of each channel 25. In one typical form of shelf 14, a wire bracket 48 attached at one end 49 in a slot 47 of the channel member 26 above the hook member 46 is attached at its other end 51 to the shelf 14 near its outer edge to support it as shown in FIG. 2. In attaching the wire bracket 48, I prefer to pass it through an opening 53 and then to curl it back under the shelf. However, other forms of shelves having suitable hook means can be used to attach the shelves 14 to the posts 12, such as the shelf 54 of FIG. 1 that has bent up end members 55 that hook to the columns 12 in the well known manner.

To provide additional support for the shelving apparatus 10, a spreader beam 56 can be attached between the upper and lower ends of the columns 12 by means of end hooks thereon (not shown) that fit into slots 57 on the main web 27 of each channel member 26.

In the arrangement shown, the structure 10 can be enlarged to any length desired by merely adding another post or column 12 and a base member 13 and the desired number of shelves 14. Only one channel member 26 is utilized on each post 12 to accommodate the end of one shelf 14, so that only one standard 11 is required to add a new section of shelving.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present 1nvention provides a novel combination of elements comprising shelf supporting columns 12 that can be assembled rapidly and easily to base members 13 to form a rigid, stable, but light and attractive load carrying structure.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely dliICIll'lg embodiments and applications of the invention wlll suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. In a freestanding shelving apparatus of the type wherein vertical upright standards support horizontal shelves suspended therefrom, an improved knocked-down standard comprising: a base member having laterally extending end portions for engaging a fiat floor surface, and a raised central portion including internal wall members and a bottom portion forming a pocket; a tubular column having a lower end inserted in said pocket, said lower end having yieldable side members and a crosssectional shape similar to and slightly smaller than said pocket; fixed tapered members extending inwardly from said yieldable side members, said tapered members having edges converging toward the lower end of said columns;- a tapered block member adapted to slide within the lower end of said column and having slots along its sides sub stantially parallel to said edges of said fixed tapered members; and bolt means extending through an opening in said bottom portion of said pocket and threaded to said tapered block member for drawing said block member downward in said column and into engagement with said edges of said fixed tapered members, thereby causing said yieldable side members of said column to press tightly against the internal walls of said pocket and thereby rigidly connecting said column to said base member.

2. In a freestanding shelving apparatus of the type wherein vertical upright standards support horizontal shelves suspended therefrom, an improved knocked-down standard comprising: a base member having laterally extending end portions for engaging a flat floor surface, and a central portion including internal wall members and a bottom portion forming a rectangular shaped pocket; a tubular column having a lower end inserted in said pocket, said lower end having yieldable side members and a rectangular cross-sectional shape similar to and slightly smaller than said pocket; fixed tapered flange members extending inwardly from said yieldable side members, said tapered flange members having edges converging toward the lower end of said columns; a tapered block member slidable within the lower end of said column and having slots along its sides substantially parallel to said edges of said fixed tapered members; and bolt means eX- tending through an opening in said bottom portion of said pocket and threaded to said tapered block member for drawing said block member downward in said column and into engagement with said edges of said fixed tapered members, thereby causing said yieldable side members of said column to press tightly against the internal walls of References Cited in the file of this patent said base member.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Horni May 12, 1931 Oliver Sept. 26, 1950 Janiszewski Aug. 2, 1955 Foster Mar. 21, 1961 Levy et a1. July 11, 1961 Stewart Nov. 21, 1961 Levy Jan. 2, 1962 

1. IN A FREESTANDING SHELVING APPARATUS OF THE TYPE WHEREIN VERTICAL UPRIGHT STANDARDS SUPPORT HORIZONTAL SHELVES SUSPENDED THEREFROM, AN IMPROVED KNOCKED-DOWN STANDARD COMPRISING: A BASE MEMBER HAVING LATERALLY EXTENDING END PORTIONS FOR ENGAGING A FLAT FLOOR SURFACE, AND A RAISED CENTRAL PORTION INCLUDING INTERNAL WALL MEMBERS AND A BOTTOM PORTION FORMING A POCKET; A TUBULAR COLUMN HAVING A LOWER END INSERTED IN SAID POCKET, SAID LOWER END HAVING YIELDABLE SIDE MEMBERS AND A CROSSSECTIONAL SHAPE SIMILAR TO AND SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN SAID POCKET; FIXED TAPERED MEMBERS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID YIELDABLE SIDE MEMBERS, SAID TAPERED MEMBERS HAVING EDGES CONVERGING TOWARD THE LOWER END OF SAID COLUMNS; A TAPERED BLOCK MEMBER ADAPTED TO SLIDE WITHIN THE LOWER END OF SAID COLUMN AND HAVING SLOTS ALONG ITS SIDES SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID EDGES OF SAID FIXED TAPERED MEMBERS; AND BOLT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH AN OPENING IN SAID BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID POCKET AND THREADED TO SAID TAPERED BLOCK MEMBER FOR DRAWING SAID BLOCK MEMBER DOWNWARD IN SAID COLUMN AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID EDGES OF SAID FIXED TAPERED MEMBERS, THEREBY CAUSING SAID YIELDABLE SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID COLUMN TO PRESS TIGHTLY AGAINST THE INTERNAL WALLS OF SAID POCKET AND THEREBY RIGIDLY CONNECTING SAID COLUMN TO SAID BASE MEMBER. 